Method of making a bail band



Aug. 28, 1956 J. F. HOMAN 2,760,262

ETHOD OF MAKING A BAIL BAND Filed Feb. 25, 1954 1 VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Oflice 2,760,262 Patented Aug. 28, "1956 METHOD OF MAKING A BAIL BAND John F. Human, Glenview, 11]., assignor to Baxter Laboratories, Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application February 25, 1954, Serial No. 412,604

3 Claims. (Cl. 29-513) This invention relates to a method of making a bail band, or the like, and more particularly to a method of making a joint structure by which the ends of the band are united. It will be understood that the invention is applicable to other uses.

The importance of securing a bail band tightly and permanently in position for many types of products is well understood, but the importance is appreciated more when the band is applied to a container for parenteral solutions and where the container is usually suspended upon a support above or adjacent the patient as the solutions are dispensed, etc.

In the past it has been common practice to use a band including a tongue portion and the other end being provided with a hole. The joint provided by threading the tongue through the hole and then crimping the tongue was difiicult to accomplish by machine and had the further disadvantage of failing to always provide a secure joint.

In the shipment of such containers of solutions and in the handling of the containers in a hospital or other places, it is relatively easy to strike the joined ends of the bail bands against objects and to loosen the hold of the interlocked ends. There has long been a need for a reliable means for securing the ends of bail bands together so that they are foolproof or accident-proof and will remain in tightly-united relation under all types of handling, shipment, etc. The problem is further aggravated by the fact that the band is obliged to occupy a very narrow place upon a container and usually between small beads thereon, and it is important that there be as little as possible of protruding edges, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bail band which may be secured upon a bottle between beads or in other positions thereon while the ends of the band are united in a sturdy arrangement which prevents disengagement even under accidental blows, etc. Another object is to provide a bail band and uniting joint of extremely simple construction which may be depended upon to hold the bail band firmly in position during adverse shipping and handling conditions. Another object is to provide a bail band joint that permits easy and speedy assembly, especially when such assembly is performed by machine. Yet another object is to provide a bail band joint structure occupying a minimum of space, the joint being formed by a simple crimping operation requiring a minimum of time. A still further object is to provide a bail band joint structure in which the interlocking parts are so arranged as to deflect blows without causing a spreading of the interlocked joint parts. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a container equipped with a bail band embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective view of a bail band with the joint parts arranged in juxtaposition prior to the assembly operation;

Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the joint parts united; Fig. 4, a broken side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the bail ends prior to their being united; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the ends of the bail united in a complete joint; and Fig. 6, an enlarged sectional detail view, the section being taken as indicated at line 66 of Fig. 5.

In the illustration given, 10 designates a container, such as, for example, 21 solutions bottle, equipped with a neck 11 and provided at its lower end with a pair of spaced beads or shoulders 12 and 13. In the specific structure shown, the glass bottle '10 is so molded as to provide a recess in the bottle of such a width as to snugly receive the bail band 14 between the shoulders 12 and 13.

The bail band 14 is provided with the usual outwardly pressed bosses 15, which are apertured to receive the ends of the bail 16.

The band 14 is provided at one end with a tapered portion 17 having upwardly-extending edges 18. As best seen in Fig. 2, the tapered portion 17 is arched slightly in a direction transverse to the length of band 14. This permits ready insertion of clamping jaws (not shown) to form the joint when band 14 is in place on container 10. The opposite end 19 of the band 14 is provided with a reverse taper complementary to the taper of the portion 17. Thus, when the portion 19 having the reverse taper is received between the upwardly-extending edges 18 of the end portion 17 and when the edges 18 are bent over, as indicated best in Figs. 3 and 5, a sturdy interlock is provided with the edges 18 extending at an inclination and in a diverging relation. With this form of lock, it is found that blows directed against the joint are ineffective in turning the flanges. The inclined flange portions reinforced by the tongue 19 therein deflect.

such blows laterally and the edges 18 remain intact.

By providing a transversely arcuate tapered portion 17, it is possible to accommodate the band to containers having different circumferences. This is especially significant when a tight fit between the band and the container is desired, because often the external circumference of the container may be out of true round.

Various methods for assembling the parts may be employed. If desired, the edges 18 may be left in a flattened condition generally parallel with the central portion 17. After the portion 17 has been brought into overlapping relation with the tongue 19, the edges 18 may be then bent upwardly and forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5. If desired, the edges 18 may be preliminarily bent upwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and the tongue 19 extended into the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, and when in that position, the edges 18 are crimped downwardly into final closed position. If desired, the crimping action may be formed automatically as the container is moved on a conveyor past the jaws of a crimping machine.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the edge portions 18 have been arched to an angle of about 45.

The final joint produced as described is highly efiective in preventing disengagement during subsequent shipping and handling operations. A long area of contact is presented between the elongated edges 18 and the reversely-tapered portion 19. Random or accidental blows against the inclined or tapered edges 18 are deflected toward the inclined shoulders 20 adjacent the tongue 19. The upper edges of the edges 18 are protected by the shoulders 21 adjacent the tapered portion 17, while the lower edges of the edges 18 are protected by the inclined shoulders 20 adjacent the reverselytapered portion 19. The entire joint is recessed within the area between the shoulders 20 and 21, and the inclination of the tapered edges 18 deflects blows so as to render them inffective in loosening the interlocking portions of the joint.

While, in the foregoing-=specification, I have shown a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that such details of construction may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A method for securing a band comprising the steps of providing a flat metal band having one end equipped with upwardly extending sides and at the other end with a reversely-tapered tongue portion, inserting the said tongue portion between the said upwardly extending sides,

and bending the said upwardly extending sides over the said tongue portion along lines parallel to the sides of the said tongue portion.

2. A method for securing a band between the shoulders of a container comprising the steps of providing a flat metal band having one end equipped with upwardly extending sides and at the other end with a reverselytapered tongue portion, inserting the said tongue portion between the said upwardly extending sides, and bending the said upwardly extending sides over the said tongue portion along lines parallel to the sides of the said tongue portion.

3. A method for securing a band between the shoulders of a container comprising the steps of providing a flat metal band having one end equipped with upwardly extending sides and at the other end with a reverselytapered tongue portion, inserting the said tongue portion between the said upwardly extending sides, and bending the said upwardly extending sides over the said tongue portion along lines parallel to the sides of the said tongue portion whereby it is possible to accommodate said band to containers having diiferent circumferences.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

